It's Been Too Long

"Opening Night"

I know you're shocked. Or maybe not. No sunset shot today, no towering architecture, no flowers, no historical ships. This is my image for today, and it's been too long since I've explored the streets of downtown Hamilton with the Nikon. It's been too long since I've had something so different to share with you all. I kind of did a little jig when this image demanded my attention!

Joined our local Hamilton Flickr Group last weekend for a photowalk. And I'm glad, very glad, I did. Not only did I get a chance to connect with a fabulous group of people for a few hours, wandering the streets, being inspired by the different things that would stand out to different people, but I was reminded that it's still fun to hunt for those "photographic gems" that are available to us if we care to look hard enough.

Several telephone and hydro poles were sporting this particular poster... for a rave or music event... and the eyes would follow you no matter where you stood. They really got my attention, and the graphic face emerging from the shadows screamed to be photographed. In my experiment to see how far the eyes would follow me, I wandered past the pole, then looked back in the lens... I realized if I got my exposure right, I'd get the "open" sign in the dark window of the dance studio behind it. Take what you will from it, paper vs neon, the solitary vs the city bustle, blue vs red (ha). Is it the most stunning image I've ever produced. Nope. But it was so much fun to take, and I can't wait to print it up. And that's the point.

If it's been too long since that was you having fun, being excited, creating something you can't wait to share, causing you to give an unrestrained giggle of accomplishment, then maybe its time to revisit something you once had time for. Doesn't have to be photography, and it doesn't have to be complicated. Just has to bring you joy. 

Thanks to the HFG for the great night, for John who got us into the local fire hall with our cameras last minute (and to all the firemen out there, stay safe and thank you for all your hard work at all hours of the day and night)... 

..... and thanks for the Ramble here on the blog, gang! Have a good one!

I Feel Gritty ~ Mono Monday!

"Just Your Typical Alleyway"

Gritty back alleys are the theme today. Couldn't tell you why. I think I just needed to forget about flowers and roses, (my personal project, vintage florals) take a break, and plug my creativity in elsewhere. And I came across this shot. And it made me stop. And that was good enough for me.

I love gritty street shots. Lonely corners, shadows from the steel mills beginning to cut across the closest walls, leaving ominous shapes. And the only sign that anyone even knows the alley exists is the tagging on a solitary door.

Took this last spring, with the last of the dirty snow still sitting in pockets of old lots. And it's just the antithesis of the lovely summer day right outside my door as I type. But I was still drawn to it...

Where's all you B&W enthusiasts out there! Let me know if you have any monochromatic images you want to show off... and the rest of you, have a super grit-free day!

Limitless ~ Exploration Thursday!

"Locked In"

(1/320 sec.@ F7.1, ISO 250, 100mm fl, 55-200mm zoom vr, bright morning sun)

I love photographing the city. I've said that before. So when the chance came this week to head out with the camera I made a decision to leave my wide angle in the kit, and only use my telephoto. No matter what. Why? Because limiting myself to one lens forces me to look at things differently. That limitation brought me limitless opportunities to be creative. It was energizing!

My wide angle is my go-to lens for so many subjects and scenes, that I sometimes forget I have other lenses in my bag. I get comfy. Or perhaps more accurate is that I get lazy. So once in a while, to break out of the routine I keep placing myself in, I try exercises like this one. I either limit myself to a type of gear, or I limit myself to a central theme. I should know never to be surprised at how fun and varied the results are.

The shot above had all the things I like in a details shot. Rusty, weathered iron gates across a defunct storefront. A big ol' lock that would never turn now for a key, and difficult light adding to the urban decay feel. I pumped the color cast a bit in Nik Effx plug-in Brilliance/Warmth while in PSPx2. Then it was done. And I'm pretty pumped about the other gems I'll have for the coming weeks too.

Put a limit on how you shoot, and force yourself to think more creatively. The possibilities for great shots that express how you see things around you are limitless!

Double Take ~ Wide Angle Wednesday!

"Where the Stairway Ends"

Converging lines and vanishing points. Ever think about them? I do. All the time. I'll say it again - all the time! In fact, it's often to the exclusion of all else. It's just the way the creative side of my brain works. I see lines in the everyday scenes around me before I notice anything else. So forgive me if it seems to be a strongly recurring theme on the blog. Couldn't help it if I tried, or did I say that already?

Repetition is the theme if you haven't noticed by now. Go get a coffee and then come back... better? Still seeing double? That's because the only thing better than one set of really great lines that tantalize the eye in a photo, are two. Both the images from today's post were pretty nice images on their own... after all, any kind of lines that run completely through an image and become the actual subject are pretty interesting. But, every once in a blue moon I get an image that begs for more, that asks to defy reason even. These images can be tremendously fun to work on. You're almost creating an alternate reality. Almost. So stop with the "twilight zone" track.

The image up top was from a world wide photo walk. The set of stairs was interesting to me but tucked into a tight area of buildings. It became impossible for me to find a composition I was happy with. The ideal wasn't possible. I walked away frustrated at the time because what I was envisioning seemed impossible. I figured I get home and delete the shot completely. But after converting the initial composition into Corel's Platinum B&W filter, the lines I loved popped a bit more. And I immediately thought of my art influences... specifically M.C.Escher, whose most famous works are true mind benders and cannot be viewed casually or you miss the genius infused within each piece.

The beauty of digital darkroom and programs like Photoshop and PSPx2, is you can play without committing to a result. So I started to play in a kaleidoscope feature, rotating mirror tools, and lens distortions. Rotating mirror, a feature that allows you to find the compositional center of an subject and not just divide the actual image in half like some editing tools, won out. I suddenly had the stairway to nowhere. For someone fairly new to photography at the time my response was "cool!"

The image below is now the result of someone who automatically sees interesting vanishing points and lines within a composition, makes them the subject, and knows instinctively that when I get it home it'll get the mirror treatment. Do I use it to the exclusion of all else. No. Do I use it to create things totally unrelatable to you the viewer? I hope not. The image below simply looks like the people in the market were walking along a mirrored ramp way to the stalls below. But in fact, this shot had major space on the left where the ramp drops away. I knew when I took the shot that the lines covering the right side of the shot were engaging. I essentially knew I'd mirror this shot. It has an impact the original never had because of it. Especially since there were people moving into and out of the frame, the sense of the moving crowd is increased for effect as well. And I get a kick out of the one gentleman staring at me out of the crowd.

"Market Reflections"

I think I may challenge myself next week to find some cool mirrors to photograph. Without the extra editing to aid the shot. Just to see what can be done right in the camera. Wanna try along with me? I'd love to see your shots folks! We can feature them here for you too! But it'll mean you'll be seeing double again... and I'd hate to give you a complex.

Thanks for letting my ramble on, in my own quirky way! Get out there and find those cool lines all around you begging to be photographed... and have a super day all!

New Directions for a New Year...

Ah, January... when so many make resolutions and build for themselves impossible goals. It's a recipe for failure often times, and I for one try to avoid failure at all costs.
I have been reading David duChemin's book "VisionMongers" and learned a very important principle I'm going to apply to my photography and my business for 2011. And that principle boils down to this; pursuing what you love to photograph, and positioning it where you want it within the photographic community... like giving yourself a road map and prepping for a long trip, you can take your photography to your ideal destination, and have an adventure along the way. The preparation is the focus, even more so than the journey sometimes, because it's in the prep work that you secure a successful journey in the first place.
I find myself wishing I could go back and change things about my photography or my approach to some gigs I wound up with last year... but instead I'm going to spend January digging deeply into my past images, and learning from them... who I am as a photographer, the direction I need to be going now as I mature and grow, and what I need to aim my Nikon at next... not to mention how to update my website, bring in a new logo, and decide what my true market will be that I begin to strive for...
Check out David's site at http://www.davidduchemin.com/  where you'll see his incredible images and come across some excellent books, and perhaps start thinking about where you'd like your photography to take you, and vice versa in 2011.
The image above is called "South Side" and was taken last weekend as I drove around my city. Architecture is one subject I can't help but photograph. You're about to see a lot more of it on this blog!
Thanks for letting me ramble... and with the new year, you'll see me ramble on perhaps a bit more frequently so you all have a peak into my own journey with my photography! Have a good one folks!